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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · net · cabinet · wave · bound · pit · bear · stock

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stock — shares
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — in sport
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stock — goods
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pit — a hole
  20. net — after costs
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com